This piece was written by Scott Joplin, who was an American ragtime musician and composer. He is widely considered the greatest ragtime composer of all time. He was born in Texas around 1868 and grew up in Texarkana, Texas. His relatives were railroad workers. His father wanted him to find work that would pay. His mother said he should learn music. Even though he was from Texas, most of his pieces were written when he was in Missouri and New York City.